The new Maldivian president has made urgent cabinet appointments to try and contain violence that has spread across the archipelago since his predecessor said he was forced to resign in a coup.

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The family of deposed Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed has fled the country and sought refuge in Sri Lanka following unrest, a media report said.

Nasheed's wife Laila Ali arrived here on Wednesday

Maldives' new president Mohamed Waheed told a US official on Tuesday that he will respect democracy in the archipelago after his predecessor resigned following protests, the State Department said.

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The ousted president of the Maldives, credited with bringing democracy to the Indian Ocean island resort, said on Wednesday he was forced out of power at gunpoint and urged his successor to step down.